Israelis Vote as Netanyahu Fights for His Political Future Amid the Iran War

October 27, 2026 · Category: World News

Polls opened across Israel at 7 a.m. Tuesday in an election that has become a referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister, and on the wars Israel has fought since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. Opinion polls show a close race between Netanyahu's Likud and its right-wing allies and an alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, Reuters reported. Polls close at 10 p.m. local time.

The Iran war is central to the race. Netanyahu has campaigned on his alliance with President Donald Trump, who launched the war on Iran jointly with Israel in February. On Sunday, Trump posted, "Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for Prime Minister, we have to finish the job that we started!" Netanyahu then suggested Trump was ready to act again against Iran, but only if he stayed in office, according to Reuters. The White House offered a narrower timeline. Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said the U.S. blockade would stay in place and that "the United States will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections" on Nov. 3.

Eisenkot has accused Netanyahu of running a campaign of "fear-mongering, lies and threats" and said he expects Trump to work with whoever wins. He has also said the next government must keep Iran from a military nuclear capability, either by force or through a U.S.-backed arrangement. That puts the two main camps closer on Iran than on accountability for Oct. 7, which many opposition voters describe as the deciding issue.

Israel's coalition math may matter more than the vote count itself. Netanyahu may again need far-right leaders Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, while Eisenkot has ruled out partnering with Arab parties. Analysts told Reuters that Arab parties could still support a minority government from outside. If no one can assemble a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, Netanyahu could stay on as caretaker until another election next year.

The vote comes amid regional diplomacy. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, which signed the Mecca defense pact in August, held talks in Tehran on Monday and agreed with Iran to keep talking about regional "peace and security," Al Jazeera reported. Hours later, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted Houthi missiles and drones aimed at the kingdom. Brent crude held near $116 a barrel, with flows through the Strait of Hormuz at about 60% of normal, Reuters reported.

Why it matters

Israel's next government will help decide whether the eight-month war with Iran restarts. The White House has ruled out U.S. strikes before Nov. 3, and some observers have flagged the weeks after the U.S. midterms as a risky window, CBS News noted. A slow coalition process could leave that question open for weeks.

Sources

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